The Santa Rosa Island fire is the largest wildfire in California so far this year. It's happening in an unusual place — off the coast of Santa Barbara County.
Nearly a third of Santa Rosa Island has been blackened by the fire, which was first discovered on May 15.
As of noon on May 21, it has burned more than 17,500 acres and is 44% contained. Three structures on the island have been destroyed.
The island, at 53,000 acres, is one of the jewels of Channel Islands National Park and is home to many rare and endangered species.
"Santa Rosa Island is home to several unique species, including species and subspecies found nowhere else in the world," said Ana Beatriz Cholo, with the National Park Service.
"One of the most notable is the Santa Rosa Island fox. It's a genetically distinct subspecies of the island fox, which evolved separately from island fox populations on the other Channel Islands. The island also supports a rare Torrey Pine population, which is one of only two native Torrey Pine populations in the world. And, there's also bald eagle nesting areas, Island Spotted Skunk habitat, and the Western Snowy Plover."
Cholo added that the status of the Torrey Pine grove is a question mark. "Crews have not been able to access that Torrey Pines area. We do know there was fire in that area, but we don't know the extent of the impact."
Fighting the fire isn’t easy. Just getting there is part of the problem. Santa Rosa Island is 26 miles off the coast of Santa Barbara.
"It's a three-hour boat ride, and you're lugging heavy equipment out there. It is definitely a logistical challenge," confirmed Cholo.
And, there are no fire stations on the island, so there were no fire trucks when the blaze started.
"There are hand crews out there, and believe it or not, we've had some fire engines go out there," said Cholo. "The great news is that we also have some super scoopers (air tankers) that are using seawater and fire retardant, so we also have air attack."
About 135 personnel, including around 75 firefighters, are now involved in the firefight.
Cholo said that with so many unique species on the island, the stakes for controlling the fire are high.
"There are seven species of federally listed (protected) plants. Of these, three are single-island endemics, which means they exist only on the island."
She said it’s unusual to have a fire of this scope on one of the Channel Islands.
"Our natural resource specialists say the Channel Islands are not considered to be fire-adapted ecosystems in the same way many Southern California ecosystems are. So, while fires have occurred historically on the islands, fire has not been a regular or dominant ecological force."
The cause of the fire is officially under investigation, but it’s believed to have started after a boat crashed onto the island.
A Coast Guard official told KCLU News that a flare from the stranded boat triggered the blaze. For now, the incident team is listing it as human-caused and under investigation.
As a result of the fire, Santa Rosa Island is closed to the public indefinitely.
